Tour de France 2011 talk

Talking about bad luck for a team, the situation of Movistar is particularly sad. Coming into the tour, they were dealing with the death of Xavi Tondo in a freak accident with a garage door, while Mauricio Soler has serious neurological deficits after a crash in the Tour de Suisse. During this tour, two of their young riders, Andrey Amador and Beñat Intxausti (fracture of the radius on stage 1, diagnosed yesterday -- he was in the same ambulance as Horner), were injured in a crash, and Vasil Kiryienka abandoned, sick. I've been rooting for their sprinter, José Joaquín Rojas, who is clearly putting an effort to get the green jersey. It has been neat to see him get some stages from teams with serious lead outs for their sprinters.

Things are definitely not going Contador's way. He seems tired after the Giro, and it does not look like he has a good enough team. The team has been invisible.

What a great finish! I can't remember if spoilers are allowed here, so that's all I'll say.

Thor de France! :D

http://velonews.competitor.com/files...12-660x439.jpg

So, Chris is doing better, two head scans have been clear, and he's already looking forward to next year's TdF. Me personally, I think he and Jani will light things up at the Vuelta this year.

This is from this morning:

http://lockerz.com/s/118442988

And yeah, Thor is pretty amazing. And go Tejay!!!

Is it just me or was Contador climbing with a limp of sorts? Didn't look smooth at all on the pedals. Maybe he was injured a bit more in that crash than he let on.

The events on today's stage were nauseating. Unreal.

Two of those events:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKuJCGV8m-w
http://www.flickr.com/photos/francet...in/photostream

I'm stupid. I've watched that clip 4 or 5 times now and absolutely cannot see how Karpets had anything to do with it. Even in slo-mo, I just can't see how Karpets was close enough, it looks like he was a bike length ahead?

Ug, and WTF with the team car.... if I was driving and a tree was coming up, I'd make the choice to put the car in the ditch rather than wipe out a couple riders... sick.

ETA: ah, it was a TV car http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011...tage-nine-live

It's hard to tell much from the video, so we'll have to wait maybe until tomorrow to find out... I just saw some Twitter comments and it appears Riis suggested that Contador's brake hood got caught in Karpets' saddle (Karpets is ~5.5 inches taller).

The car was apparently one with VIPs from France TV. Should have hit the brakes instead of veering into the riders. Almost took Voeckler out, too.

Update: VeloNews quotes both Karpets and Contador -- it was an accident.

There was an interesting comment to the Guardian story, where someone (associated with the Tour, but I don't remember who) said there have been more crashes lately, and thinks it's due to the riders being less careful now that they all wear helmets.

Reminded me of a statistic I read on automobile-related fatalities in the US. It's been holding steady around 40,000+ per year for decades, regardless of all the amazingly effective new safety additions to modern cars. People drive more aggressively the safer they feel, and only modify behaviour as the fatality rate begins to exceed the "acceptable" level.

(meanwhile I think the bike-related fatality rate in the US is something like 700+ per year... but everyone thinks biking is far more dangerous)

Well, today Bobke had a great one. According to him, it turns out that Contador is to blame for the nervousness of the peloton. He looks vulnerable and has crashed. Therefore, there is a sense of urgency and everybody wants to get up front... I guess Contador should swap costumes with Didi Senft for the rest of this tour.

Poor Vinokourov...they were talking about it being a career ending injury. I hope, for him, that it's not.

Great to see someone else take the maillot jaune today.

What a terrible bunch of crashes. I ache for Vinikourov; he was so fabulous yesterday. The media car that hit Flecha/Hoogerland (and almost Tommy) was just plain wrong. I've watched the tour since 1984 and I don't recall a car hitting a rider before (although I could have repressed it in all these years).

Tommy Voeckler is just delightful to watch, though, and I'm so glad he's in yellow. Remember in 2004 when he just couldn't believe himself. He was all smiles, just like today when he hopped with joy on the podium. He's one of my favorite riders.

Terrible accident for Vino.

Re Chris Horner, read today that he still does not remember the entire first week of the TdF, but otherwise feels great. He twitted a picture of him having dessert... looks like a fast food place. In France, in a fast food place? :eek:

I suppose if I'd got my brains rattled and the snot wolloped out of me, I'd be craving some McDonald's comfort food, too.

http://twitpic.com/5o76et

Mmm, french fries in France... ;)

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Originally Posted by tulip

What a terrible bunch of crashes. I ache for Vinikourov; he was so fabulous yesterday. The media car that hit Flecha/Hoogerland (and almost Tommy) was just plain wrong. I've watched the tour since 1984 and I don't recall a car hitting a rider before (although I could have repressed it in all these years).

Tommy Voeckler is just delightful to watch, though, and I'm so glad he's in yellow. Remember in 2004 when he just couldn't believe himself. He was all smiles, just like today when he hopped with joy on the podium. He's one of my favorite riders.

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Voeckler has totally won my heart. He's just an amazing cyclist--his strategy looks so well executed, he works so hard, and he just pours everything into it.

As for the car clipping those riders today, it makes me sick how cavalier those people are being with not only the outcome of the stage, but also with those riders' lives! TV France should have its filming privileges revoked for this.

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

There was an interesting comment to the Guardian story, where someone (associated with the Tour, but I don't remember who) said there have been more crashes lately, and thinks it's due to the riders being less careful now that they all wear helmets.

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Baloney.... no bike racer *wants* to crash... it hurts - it hurts all over, in lots of places that your helmet doesn't cover and it puts you out of the race, which no one wants. My husband and I have discussed why we think there have been so many crashes. Some of it is just bad luck, but we also think a lot of it is lack of a strong "patrone" and super dominant team in the race. Hate LA if you like, but I think his super strong personality (and before him guys like Eddie Mercxy and Bernard Hinault) and strong team were able to enforce a little more order in the peleton....

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

I suppose if I'd got my brains rattled and the snot wolloped out of me, I'd be craving some McDonald's comfort food, too.

http://twitpic.com/5o76et

Mmm, french fries in France... ;)

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Hmm. I'd go for steak and frites, with a nice pichet of red wine. Small bistro with a view.

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Originally Posted by blue_angel

TV France should have its filming privileges revoked for this.

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The problem with that is that then none of us get to see the Tour. They are the only ones that are filming it.

I'm sure the driver of that car is not only gone from the tour, but likely gone from their job too.

I remember watching the bike race in Philly and marveling at how the drivers were maneuvering the roads through Manayunk. It was some amazing car handling. Which makes this driver's move all the more baffling to me.

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Originally Posted by Possegal

The problem with that is that then none of us get to see the Tour. They are the only ones that are filming it.

I'm sure the driver of that car is not only gone from the tour, but likely gone from their job too.

I remember watching the bike race in Philly and marveling at how the drivers were maneuvering the roads through Manayunk. It was some amazing car handling. Which makes this driver's move all the more baffling to me.

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I think TV France is only one of the stations that actually films, but perhaps I am wrong. [Edited: I just read in a news item that it was a car belonging to France 2 and France 3, which are public channels. So it wasn't TV France.] Even so, there should be a major penalty--perhaps a large fine--that they should incur as a result of this. Apparently that car was chauffeuring network executives and wasn't even filming.

And where is the public apology? I haven't seen a single news item from TV France apologizing for the crash.

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Originally Posted by blue_angel

I think TV France is only one of the stations that actually films, but perhaps I am wrong.

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They are the only ones doing the filming. All the other stations that are showing the tour, are showing feeds from their filming.

I'm waiting to hear something from them. The silence is rather odd. The replays of that still make me a bit queasy. Could have been so much worse I suppose, but it still was so scary. Hope they are both doing OK after the fact.

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Originally Posted by pll

Hmm. I'd go for steak and frites, with a nice pichet of red wine. Small bistro with a view.

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I don't think you are allowed intoxicants after a brain injury.

Burger and fries, steak and fries... I'd be yearning for red meat and potatoes, for sure! I suppose a burger would be easier to chew with a broken nose than a steak would be. I can't remember what I ate after I broke my nose, but I do remember that it hurt my nose *bad-bad-bad* to chew for a few weeks.

L'Equipe and ASO refer to the car as "No. 800 EuroMedia". Channel 2 and 3 are from France Télévisions. They posted on their Facebook that they are distressed and that they hope the riders were not too badly injured, despite their spectacular falls:

https://www.facebook.com/FrancetvSpo...34294873258020

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

I don't think you are allowed intoxicants after a brain injury.

Burger and fries, steak and fries... I'd be yearning for red meat and potatoes, for sure! I suppose a burger would be easier to chew with a broken nose than a steak would be. I can't remember what I ate after I broke my nose, but I do remember that it hurt my nose *bad-bad-bad* to chew for a few weeks.

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Ouch.

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Originally Posted by pll

Things are definitely not going Contador's way. He seems tired after the Giro, and it does not look like he has a good enough team. The team has been invisible.

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The irony is Contador selected the team! It has been reported team management let him hand select the team he wanted to support him.

Today's stage was sickening. I am shocked at the number of names that were expected to be in the top 25 or even on the podium that are out due to the crashes.

This first week of the tour has been more crash-y than I ever remember. And BIG names/contenders are out. Today's stage was horrible- I've never seen a cyclist hit by a car, and that horrified me. WOW! :eek:
Poor Vinny- could not believe how bad off he looked being drug out of that ditch. Oh my!!

Good heavens Hoogerland took a beating courtesy of that barbed wire. http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-f.../photos/181772
His shorts are pretty much not on anymore, just to warn folks, naked butt cheek at the link above. OUCH

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Originally Posted by Possegal

Good heavens Hoogerland took a beating courtesy of that barbed wire. http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-f.../photos/181772
His shorts are pretty much not on anymore, just to warn folks, naked butt cheek at the link above. OUCH

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Ouch^2. 33 stitches. But before getting those, he finished the race, collected his polka dot jersey and wept on the podium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJarentZE2g

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Possegal

Good heavens Hoogerland took a beating courtesy of that barbed wire. http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-f.../photos/181772
His shorts are pretty much not on anymore, just to warn folks, naked butt cheek at the link above. OUCH

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Dear Lord- that's horrible!!! (kinda sexy) but horrible!!! Poor guy. And then he gets back on and finishes. Rodeo men have nothing on these guys! Tough as nails. :cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Possegal

Good heavens Hoogerland took a beating courtesy of that barbed wire. http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-f.../photos/181772
His shorts are pretty much not on anymore, just to warn folks, naked butt cheek at the link above. OUCH

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:eek: Holy cow! :eek: And to think I whimpered after scratching myself on some blackberry vines while mowing the lawn this morning.
Like the tan line :cool::rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by pll

Ouch^2. 33 stitches. But before getting those, he finished the race, collected his polka dot jersey and wept on the podium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJarentZE2g

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I liked the red dresses of the podium girls (part 2), those are much nicer than the red pokadot raincoat inspired frocks.

All the cars were directed by the officials to let the Directeur Sportif of Europcar go to the front because Voeckler had requested his team car. This means pull over to the right and let the team car pass. The TV car ignored the directive and went ahead, causing the accident.

From OuestFrance.fr:

«Le véhicule incriminé avait reçu la consigne de la Direction de la course de ne pas passer et de laisser le directeur sportif de l'équipe Europcar apporter à Thomas Voeckler le bidon qu'il réclamait. Ne tenant aucun compte de cette injonction, le véhicule s'est engagé et a provoqué la chute de deux coureurs», a déclaré notamment la direction du Tour dans un communiqué, en qualifiant ce comportement d'«intolérable».

Elsewhere in the article, it says that all media cars have been doubly reminded that the safety of the riders is paramount. I imagine there will be some fallout tomorrow.

Also, Vino has been flown to Paris by helicopter for surgery tonight.

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Originally Posted by pll

Ouch^2. 33 stitches. But before getting those, he finished the race, collected his polka dot jersey and wept on the podium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJarentZE2g

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When he wept on the podium, he might have become my new favorite rider.

I feel like I don't even want to sit down on my bum just looking at all the injury to his. :)

I am just really pissed. If you can't ride the biggest bike race in the world without getting hit by a car, what hope do the rest of us have.


I was thrilled to see Horner enjoying the Micky D's. Nowhere near as good as In 'n Out Burger, I supposed, but tasty nonetheless.

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Originally Posted by Possegal

When he wept on the podium, he might have become my new favorite rider.

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Mine, too!

Now that I've finally finished watching the stage, I'm catching up on the cycling guys I follow on twitter. This is made me smile -- from Jani Brajkovic, who broke his collarbone the other day:

2h30 on a trainer. all went fine until landlord got a nervous breakdown. Ups, i guess I was a bit loud. New trainer?

As did this, from Taylor Phinney (who crashed in the Tour of Austria today) to his dad, Davis:

Happy Birthday Dad! I love you very much!!! Sorry I crashed on my head today :^\

Also, Fabian is cooking for his team tomorrow as part of a charity thing...

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Originally Posted by ny biker

I am just really pissed. If you can't ride the biggest bike race in the world without getting hit by a car, what hope do the rest of us have.

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Excellent point!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

There was an interesting comment to the Guardian story, where someone (associated with the Tour, but I don't remember who) said there have been more crashes lately, and thinks it's due to the riders being less careful now that they all wear helmets.

Reminded me of a statistic I read on automobile-related fatalities in the US. It's been holding steady around 40,000+ per year for decades, regardless of all the amazingly effective new safety additions to modern cars. People drive more aggressively the safer they feel, and only modify behaviour as the fatality rate begins to exceed the "acceptable" level.

(meanwhile I think the bike-related fatality rate in the US is something like 700+ per year... but everyone thinks biking is far more dangerous)

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Your 40,000 and 700 are not comaprible. Percentage is what you need to conclude that auto accidents are more prelivent or "less safe". There are 254.4 million car owners in America, bicycle owners are a fraction of that and the amount of those that ride regularly would be a fraction of the owners of bicycles.

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Originally Posted by Realgone

Your 40,000 and 700 are not comaprible. Percentage is what you need to conclude that auto accidents are more prelivent or "less safe". There are 254.4 million car owners in America, bicycle owners are a fraction of that and the amount of those that ride regularly would be a fraction of the owners of bicycles.

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I wasn't making any comparisons of safe and "less safe" between bikes and cars!!!!! My goodness!!!!

I was talking about the sociological phenomenon of the steady annual level of automobile-related fatalities regardless of advancing safety features of modern automobiles.

As an aside, I tossed in the bike statistic which often surprises people because they assume many more cyclists die annually than car passengers, from a purely quantitative standpoint. (i.e., they expect the numbers to be 40,000+ cyclists and 700+ car passengers)

Heavens to Betsy! Ease up!

Oy. All these crashes are bad for my fantasy tour team ;)

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!

it was definitely a wild stage today. So sad for Vinokourov, what a terrible injury. Loved that Voekler won, and am definitely a new fan of Hoogerland and Flecha for even finishing! Owww.